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Here are a few excerpts: “Early morning is not an attractive time to travel in India . As we slowly pull out of the city we are hailed with the twenty-one-hundred-bum salute of slum dwellers squatting beside the tracks doing their morning ‘ablutions'. Some smile and wave but most don't even seem to see the train. It's as if Indians, living in a country too crowded for privacy, have developed a remarkable ability to look without seeing. They don't notice the child grabbing their shawls, the beggar pulling at their pants, the filth, the misery, the public nose picking, pissing or pooing, and they seem deaf to the call of the country – a violent guttural growling retch, crrooooooooooaaaaaaaaak, punctuated by a giant spit of phlegm: pppppttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” And then there is the other side of India “Our houseboat is floating faded glory, featuring a carved wooden deck, a den with paisley cushion…..creaks and rocks on a breathtakingly beautiful field of lotuses. Towering green stems stretch to flowers as large as a giant's outstretched hand with petals the colour of pearl kissed by pink giant leaves shaped like elephant ears…..beyond the lake, the jagged line of the snow-capped mountains softens and merges into a mauve sky…..the Muslim call to prayer wafts down from the nearby mosque……Kashmir begins to cast it's spell on me. “ India is the worst of humanity and the best of humanity” So for now….am off to India “There is a heartbeat that pulses in India and permeates everything and everyone - it's hard to describe, but you will know exactly what I mean when you are there, and particularly after you have left. You can leave India , but India will never leave you.” INDIA
After reading “Holy Cow an Indian Adventure” I felt that I was somewhat, albeit very naively, prepared for my own Indian Adventure. Arriving with some trepidation and tremendous excitement, I breezed through customs and braced myself for the doors to open to Dehli. Imagining myself surrounded with circles of light, I stepped into the world of India . Feeling somewhat like being thrown into a wolves den, the doors opened to a throng of Indian men all shouting to drive me to wherever it is I wanted to go. A multitude of arms and hands were all grabbing and reaching toward me and a crescendo of raised voices all offering the best possible deals. I was relieved and thrilled to see two very familiar friendly smiling faces, John and Angelo – I now felt safe-er. They left Australia a couple of days earlier for Kuala Lumpur , arriving in India an hour or so before I did. John, having been to India several times had a wonderful connection with a very loving and helpful family who live in New Dehli. They made all the arrangements for us, which included our own driver waiting for our arrival and ready to drive us to our hotel. I did get my first lesson in ‘negotiating' as we were now being ‘escorted' by a very large group of eager porters grabbing at our bags, each one making sure their voices were heard over the other. After the initial shock of my first few minutes in this new land, I became aware of the intense heat and stifling polluted air. |
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I saw another friendly and familiar face, Wai Hong. He arrived in Dehli a couple of days earlier. And now we were four, piling our luggage and ourselves into our vehicle, all eager for the adventures in store for us. |
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| Now; for my first experience - the roads of Dehli. It seemed like everyone driving had one hand on their horn. This was, as I discovered, a whole language in itself. One honk, “I am on your tail – or just about to pull along side” Two honks “Heads up, I am now passing you” Three honks “Get Out of my way” and for the sake of being polite we won't go into what very long loud honks mean. Many have a sign on the back of their vehicles reading “Please Honk” – especially trucks. “Air Care” does not exist here and what we would consider two lanes of traffic means 4 or 5 or wherever you can squeeze in is fair game. Bicycles, scooters and motorcycles carrying families of up to five! Yes, five. Dad in the ‘drivers seat' – young child on fender in front of him, and one or two children wedged between Dad and Mom who is sitting side saddle at the back holding baby in her arms. To top that off she is wearing a long shawl which somehow does not get tangled up in the spokes of the wheel. The traffic consists of the aforementioned mode, then the carts of either human or other cargo being pulled by a man on foot, or a horse drawn cart and in the more rural areas by a camel. |
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Open air little green taxis, one wheel in front and two at rear, and then the non-air-conditioned but closed in taxis and our most favoured - the air-conditioned variety. All honking or shouting at one another. And, lest we forget a few ‘Sacred Cows' ambling through it all. |
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This, along with beggars or vendors in all shapes and sizes eager for ‘Rupees' tapping at your window or reaching out at you every time you slow down let alone stop. |
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| The food here has been great, although I am eating very little and am craving fresh salads! We enjoyed several days in Dehli shopping and doing a lot of site seeing. The shopping is amazing and a bit overwhelming. In preparation for the Spiritual celebration we were going to, I needed to purchase the proper attire. It is a matter of respect for all women to have their legs and arms covered, and John suggested I purchase a couple of Sari's and a few outfits which included tunic type longer dresses with matching Indian pants and shawls. I found it a huge challenge as it was a wardrobe that was very foreign to me and I did not know where to begin. What I did really enjoy was shopping for beads, gem stones, silver spacers and clasps. | |||||||||||||||||
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I enjoy making jewelry and must say that I am a ‘Bead-a-holic'! The blankets and shawls were so amazing and it was hard to know what to buy as there were so many amazing bargains! All the while it was a challenge as everywhere I went, people were grabbing at me and all wanting me to buy their great deals. For some reason I seemed to stand out in the crowd here. Not that being blonde, a head taller than most locals and although tanned, rather fair complexioned compared to the rest of the people on the street, and one of those ‘rich tourists' had anything to do with receiving so much attention! | ||||||||||||||||
I really had to ‘shield' my heart as there were so many people and especially children begging. I was clearly told by my new Dehli friends, to please not give anyone any money as it causes even more begging. A challenge when it is clear there is so much poverty. The moment you give someone anything at all, you are suddenly surrounded by a huge crown that come from all directions. I learned that lesson quickly and realized if I gave everything I owned it would disappear in a matter of seconds with even more hands reaching out. No is not a word in their vocabulary, nor is a shake of the head or hands held up to say back off, let alone smiling and making an effort to be ‘nice'. I would be followed by the same people begging for blocks on end, only to be joined in by many others. The only thing I found effective was to really surround myself with layers of light, keep focused on the direction I was walking, allowing myself to be in a place of compassion and not sympathy as I attempted to ignore all the pulling and poking and pleading. I finally discovered that when I imagined placing a cloak of invisibility around myself, that it worked very well. The entire time I spent in India , there was no blue sky. There was always a haze in the air. There is a wonderful habit easily picked up here. When asking someone a question it is met with a jiggling move of the head that is a combination of yes and no – much like that of one of those dogs with the moving head you see in the backs of cars. John has been a great teacher for me in how to haggle for the best rates for taxis to get us about Dehli. Angelo and I have been elected to negotiate our hotel room rates and in bartering for our purchases. We have become a good team. In fact, it has been a pleasure to travel with John, Angelo and Wai Hong. I couldn't imagine being here without them! The four of us hired our own driver and private car – air-conditioned of course, and spent the next several days traveling a circle route from Dehli to Mathura , Agra , Richikesh, Jaipur and back to Dehli. From the comfort of air-conditioning, it was a fascinating journey. We saw many Camel caravans which proved to be a popular mode of travel. I wanted to experience a Camel ride, so we pulled over and there I was, my first Camel ride. Quite the experience as once on it was easy – it was the getting up and back down again that was a bit of a thrill! |
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| So many different sights one of which, not common in our part of the world is to have an elephant tailgating your vehicle! | |||||||||||||||||
I was in constant awe and wonder seeing all the sites and seeing how these people live. What stands out is that in all the apparent poverty you are met with brilliant smiling faces with clear searching eyes. Everywhere I look, I see destruction and construction. Bricks that have fallen apart from one building; are being used to create another. Makeshift shacks become homes or businesses. Barber shops in tiny little huts, and vendors selling their wares from the side of the road. |
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| It was a blistering 35degrees Celsius, long dusty roads and hazy skylines. Each village we passed through had a common theme of outdoor markets, selling fruits, vegetables, meats, cloth, jewelry and tons of other paraphernalia. Our driver would always find us a lovely place to rest; enjoy some delicious Chai, a bite to eat and a welcome stretch for our legs. The dry dusty heat sometimes seems unbearable. I find I am constantly clearing my throat and now understand why it seems everyone here picks their nose and spits. There is so much pollution and dust in the air that if one did not pick their nose, one would not be able to breathe! Although I did not spit in public, which by the way is an accepted habit, I was grateful to carry a large supply of tissues. |  |
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We saw many incredible buildings one of which was the ‘ Water Palace '. We were being followed by two very sweet little boys with smiles that would light up anyone's' heart. They were curious, a little shy and were not begging even though their clothing, what was left of it, was very ragged and torn. The children here are so beautiful! When looking at you they look deep into your eyes searching deep inside your soul. As we headed back to our vehicle, one of the boys was still nearby, and as I walked past him, I gave him 10 Rupees. (approximately 30cents) Once inside our vehicle, I | ||||||||||||||||
turned around to look at him and found to my horror he was surrounded by 6 or 7 other boys his age, all beating him and pulling at him to take away the money. It was like he became the wealthy one while the others ravished him. I thought I had done a little thing that was good, only to find that it was destructive. This country really does embody ‘the best of humanity and at the same moment the worst of humanity'. I discover this to prove itself more and more as my trip unfolds. |
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| The highlight of this part of our trip was our visit to the TAJ MAHAL! It truly is a wonder of the world. Our timing was great, as we got there a couple of hours before sunset. We had time to explore and take many pictures. As the sun set, it glistened off all the mirrored mosaic of jewels embedding in the structure. It was spectacular! |
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OM NAMAH SHIVAYA. Truth, Simplicity, Love. We spent the day in Dehli making our final arrangements packing up our backpacks and leaving some of our other luggage with our new friends. We then went to Old Dehli to take the train. This in itself is another adventure in the frenzy of porters and a very crowded train station. We were always on guard keeping a hand on all of our belongings, some of which was our supply of water which we always carried with us. It will be an overnight journey in a sleeping compartment. Our train finally arrives and there is a frenzy of activity, as along with a crowd of people, we must hurry to be sure to find our compartment. It consists of 3 fold down sleeping cots on one side of the aisle and on the other, somewhat of a cubicle with 6 fold down sleeping cots – 3 on either side each facing each other. There is a young newly married Indian couple on the lower two, Wai Hong across from me on the second level and John and Angelo on the top two. We are right at the door which leads to the toilets. No more needs to be said about that! The fan overhead sends a breeze our way that leads one to believe something had died within the ventilation system. It is very hot and stuffy so no blankets needed! We do have a curtain to pull across which gives a sense of privacy. The Indian man on the bottom has a very loud cough which continues through the night, and poor Wai Hong is fighting a very sore throat and cold coming on. Once we have chained and secured our luggage we settle in for the night. This is the deluxe compartment! On second thought – there is something to be said about the toilets. The toilets in India consist of a hole in the ground with a place for your feet on either side. Often there is a tap with a small container that you fill with water and pour down the hole once you have completed your reason for being there. This system proved a challenge on a moving train. Wash basins often don't exist and toilet paper is never present. The left hand is meant to “clean oneself” and the right one to eat with! Interestingly there is never any soap present. So, you never extend your left hand – only your right! Needless to say, I carried a great supply of tissues and wet wipes and was very conscious of everything I touched! |
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After a not so restful night, we finally arrive. Again, it is a mad scurry, half awake and in a daze, we unchain our luggage and quickly get off before the train leaves with us still on it. Our next challenge, not speaking the language, and in a very remote area, we must find a jeep to take us into the mountains and to Herakahn. Our best choice is a very beat up jeep with not a single bit of tread left on the tires! We all squeeze in along with our luggage and proceed up very windy narrow and very rocky roads. The air is quite thin and I notice that my throat is now acting up finding it harder to breathe and a raspy cough ensues. After several hours |
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| and a very bumpy ride, being tossed about like rag dolls, we don't quite reach our destination as there has been a landslide and the road is not passable. From here we meet with locals eager to act as porters and guide us hiking in the rest of the way to the Ashram. |
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| The view overlooking the Ganges and seeing the Ashram is an awesome sight. We are greeted by the locals all curious to see who these strangers are that are arriving. |
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| The events of the following days are too numerous to document here. The experience was profound in more ways than I even imagined while I was there. I did much meditation and inner reflections. I did do some private sessions and assisted John in a couple of group ‘rebirthing' sessions, all part of my Karma Yoga. Upon our arrival we were all assigned our rooms. Mine was on the third and top floor of the Ashram – up two steep flights of stairs, and in a small room shared with 8 other women. The roof was tin, which created a very hot environment and there were very thin mats on the floor which were to be our beds. (Our first lessons of letting go of the Ego!) The nearest toilet was down the two flights of stairs across the courtyard and down two more flights of stairs! My throat now became very infected and I developed a fever as my sinuses were blocked and it was working its way into my chest. I spent the next three days very ill and to top it off was blessed with the runs. Not a good thing with the long walk to the nearest convenience! Slowly I started on my recovery process, drinking lots of water and gradually worked my way to eating rice with fresh lemon juice. This was my diet for most of the next 9 days with yoghurt and fruit being introduced. That, and the many stairs – many more flights that lead down to the Ganges river proved to be a good weight loss regime. |
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Each morning at 4am we were required to find our way in the dark, down to the river to cleanse and have our morning bath. Up this high, the Ganges is crystal clear and cold. This was followed at approximately 5am for a ceremony where we were all blessed with a yellow paste across our foreheads, which was to wipe away many years of karma. Each day here is sacred, including the free time in the afternoon to explore or laze in the sun by the river. On one such afternoon, as I was doing some writing by the river, I heard a noise behind me. When I looked behind there were about 30 monkeys that came down to the river for a drink. |
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These afternoons, sitting alone on the banks of the River Ganges, was a very sacred time for me. I deeply reflected on my purpose, my journey, questioning my existence, and processed much of the pain still held in my heart. I would then lie down in the water and let her healing energy flow over my body. As part of our daily afternoon ritual, we were also to cleanse and bathe in the River. As women, we were to keep our legs and arms covered. There is a long slip that is under the Sari and this is what we were to keep on while bathing as we washed ourselves while still wearing this garment. Meanwhile a few yards away, men were bathing wearing nothing but a G-string! Something I found it hard to get my head around!! (The custom, not the men in G-strings) |
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There were many wonderful connections with new and old friends. I enjoyed getting to know Sondra Ray, author of many books, one of which I am currently reading “Essays on Creating Sacred Relationships”. I thank her for her words of wisdom in aiding my own journey as a writer. |
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| Our trek out. We decided to hire porters and horses and hiked out rather than go back down in what would be a very unsafe jeep ride.
The journey here was an arduous and humbling experience. India truly is a land of incredible beauty, and contrasts as we soon experienced arriving back in Dehli. It was difficult to face the extremes once again, and I really did not want to spend any more time in India . I had two weeks left, and felt like one week would be ample. When I checked to see if I could get an earlier flight, I was informed that things were solidly booked and the only possibility would be to leave that evening. Everything went very fast from here on in, and the next thing I knew, I was on a plane and on my way to Germany . At that time I really felt I would never go back. But the longer I am away, the more I feel the desire to return. It is true, she is now in my blood, and though I have left India , she has not left me. |
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